What's New:

October 2014

2015 Emergency Medicine Symposium.

The next EM Symposium will be held from March 9-13, 2015 in Ha Long Bay. The focus will be on Stroke Care.. There will be 3 conferences: Leadership, Physician Symposium, Nursing. For more information please contact us here.

Current News:

October 2014

"For The Love of a Child" 2014

The Annual Benefit Dinner for the Children of Vietnam will be held on October 25, 2015 at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, CA. Purchase your tickets HERE

Cao Bang - North Vietnam, The Legend

There is a legend that is narrated to the first rulers of Vietnam, dated to 2838-2698 BC which corresponds to the Phùng Nguyên culture traced to a small settlement in Bac Bo (North Vietnam). According to this legend, De Minh the great grand son of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung married an immortal in Honan Province. Their youngest son Loc Tuc was appointed to rule over Xich Quay which included, apart from territory in China, North Vietnam. Loc Tuc’s son then married the daughter of King De Lai, Princess Au Co. They had 100 sons and as per the prevailing societal custom of the Vietnamese which was matriarchal, De Lai lived with his mother while his 100 sons were under the care of his wife. Suddenly one day De Lai announced to his wife that he belonged to the race of dragons and she to the race of the Immortals and that he would henceforth they could not live together. He thereafter moved to south sea with his 50 sons and his wife moved to the hills in China with the other 50 thus ushering a shift in the social culture of Vietnam, from matriarchal to patriarchal, and this separation is said to be the first divorce in Vietnam. It is conjectured that the hundred sons who were thus “scattered across the south of China were the Pai Yueh (Hundred Vietnamese).”The brave sons of Lac Long Quan who inherited the kingdom took the title of Hung Vuong (Brave King) and founded the Hong Bong Dynasty, which lasted from 2837 BC to 258 BC. The name of the Kingdom was changed to Van Lang, a tribal totem.

The kingdom went through a series of changes with turbulent history, having changed hands a number of times and Au Viet came to existence with Cao Bang as its capital. This legend is linked to the present day Cao Bang's, which is at the border with China.

Ban Gioc Waterfall

Ban Gioc waterfall is located 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the north of Cao Bang at the Vietnam China International Border. It originates from the Quy Xuan River and falls over a height of 30 metres (98 ft) and is300 metres (980 ft)wide At the top, the waterfall is seen in three parts divided by rocks and trees. As the water falls down the cliff and merges with sunlight, a seven-coloured rainbow formation is witnessed. Many green trees and flowers that perfume the air are located at the base of the fall.

This water fall is the 4th largest waterfall along a national border in the world, the other three are the Iguazu Falls, the Victoria Falls, and the Niagara Falls in that order. It was also one of the crossing points for China’s army during the brief Sino-Vietnamese War. Nearby there is the Tongling Gorge accessible only through a cavern from an adjoining gorge. Rediscovered only recently, it has many species of endemic plants, found only in the gorge. This cave was a hideout for the local bandits whose treasure is occasionally still found in the cliff-side caves. Ban Gioc Fall is also famous for the fish species “tram huong.” During the 1920s, this was a hunting and fishing location for the French who built cottages for the purpose.